1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of computer systems. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a system and method for creating integrated web form and database applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current solutions for creating web forms and databases generally make use of distinct applications and skill sets that do not allow for a single worker to easily generate and maintain a web form and database application. Current generation form editors include WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) form editors that allow for the creation of forms through the graphical placement of form elements such as text fields and check boxes. Generally, markup-based applications use HTML tables in the form generation process and do not use CSS for form element placement. Furthermore, there is no coupling of a generated HTML table form with a relational database. Current database generation interfaces allow for complex schema generation but do not generally allow a form designer to easily create a database or maintain the database. Hence, although applications exist in each area, there is no bridge between the application domains which leads to more effort, more required skill for generating an application and more cost.
An example scenario for a currently known system is as follows: A web-design client orders an online web form to collect visitor information from a website and organize the collected information into a searchable database. In this scenario at least one web designer generates a form with a graphical form designer and saves the form as markup. Another worker, for example a database programmer, interfaces with the web designer and generates a database that will store the information associated with the form. The web designer updates the form based on input from the database programmer and ensures that the form stores and updates data from the form. If the desired visitor information set changes, then both the web designer and the database programmer are required to alter their respective work pieces and retest the system. Updates to existing database records is the responsibility of the database programmer or administrator. Any administration interface would likewise require changes by both the web designer and the database programmer to account for the underlying schema changes.
One existing solution, “Database Professional” for example allows for database creation. Another solution “Form Maker Pro” allows for form creation. Neither of these solutions allow for total integrated form and database creation and as such are standalone solutions that require other software packages to implement the functionality that they themselves are not equipped to create.
Other existing solutions such as “FormSite” and “FileMaker Pro” allow for form generation based on an existing database. The problem with these solutions lies in the fact that the schema is static for these solutions and the database is of a fixed type that the end user has no control over. In the case of “FormSite” the database is stored on their server and there is no method of moving the database or using a database on any other server. In the case of “FileMaker Pro” the only database supported is FMP.
Yet other existing solutions “Logiforms” and “Quask” allow for form creation and import of XML to a local database. These solutions require local databases. As such a remote database may not be interfaced with. In the case of “Logiforms” local database utilization requires a per month payment to keep the system operational. In the case of “Quask”, the database resides on the local personal computer.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a system and method for creating integrated web form and database applications.